Expectations high for UAlbany men

Key players have left the team, but the Great Danes remain confident

Updated 1:36 am, Sunday, November 4, 2012

UAlbany coach Will Brown during the first half of UAlbany's 81-78 loss to Boston University at the SEFCU Arena on Monday night Feb. 6, 2012 in Albany, NY. UAlbany was leading by 17 at one point late in the first half. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union )

UAlbany coach Will Brown during the first half of UAlbany's 81-78...

UAlbany coach Will Brown calls out to his players during Saturday's game at SEFCU Arena in Albany Feb. 4, 2012. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

UAlbany coach Will Brown calls out to his players during Saturday's...

UAlbany men's basketball coach Will Brown celebrates a score by his players during the first half of their 88-63 victory over Hartford at SEFCU Arena on Monday Jan. 2, 2012 in Albany, N.Y. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union )

ALBANY — When a team loses its top two scorers from the season before, the expectations aren't supposed to be high.

Don't tell that to University at Albany coach Will Brown or any of his players.

Despite saying goodbye to guard Gerardo Suero, who was the seventh-leading scorer in the country last year (21.5 ppg), and Logan Aronhalt (13.8 ppg), Brown thinks these Great Danes will be better than the team that was 19-15 and a basket away from getting to the America East championship game last season.

"From within the program, I think the expectations are higher because this team believes, right now, they are much better than last year's team," Brown said. "I think they really believe that. I have not had to sell them on it. We have guys who are just concerned about winning."

Had Suero and Aronhalt come back, the Danes would have had all five starters returning and likely would have been picked No. 1 in the conference preseason poll.

But when Suero decided to try a pro career and Aronhalt transferred to Maryland, the UAlbany stock plummeted. UAlbany still is expected to be good this season; the coaches' poll tabbed the Danes fourth.

But that's not going to be good enough for this team.

"We don't care what people say," senior center Blake Metcalf said. "When you lose your two best scorers, it's easy to say it will be a down year, a rebuilding year. As players, we don't look at it that way."

The Danes do have the best point guard in the league in senior Mike Black, who averaged 13.4 points per game last season. He will have to score more. Brown has handed the keys of the program to the 6-foot Black. It's his team.

The soft-spoken Black, also a co-captain (along with Metcalf, Luke Devlin and Jacob Iati), knows the responsibility he has, and he has embraced it.

"We are going to be really good," he said. "I think we can be tremendous."

The Danes also will have a healthy Luke Devlin, who was an All-Rookie selection during his freshman year. He had back and knee problems a year ago but now has proclaimed himself healthy.

The Danes led the America East in scoring last year (72.1 ppg) but also gave up 69.1, the third worst in the nine-team league. As good as Suero was on offense, he probably couldn't have guarded his coach. All season long, that was a liability.

"Defense on the perimeter was our weakness last year," Brown said. "We allowed the ball in the paint too easy. We have guys out front now who will keep the ball in front of them."

Black is a defender. DJ Evans, a junior-college transfer, can defend, as can redshirt freshman Peter Hooley, who sat out all but three games last year with a stress fracture.

Up front, a healthy Devlin will defend, and Brown is hopeful that 6-10 junior center John Puk, who lost 30 pounds, will be more of a force.

"Our front court has really improved," Brown said. "Puk and Blake both lost 30 pounds, and they are quicker and more athletic. I might be playing them a lot together."

The Danes also should pick up some offense from seniors Jayson Guerrier and Jacob Iati. Both are long-distance shooting specialists. They might help the Danes forget about those who are no longer here.

"We are going to miss (Suero and Aronhalt), but we don't really talk about it," Guerrier said. "They were great players. We have great players now."